Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Information that you feel comfortable offering

Most marketers will tell you a balance must be struck when it
comes to collecting consumers’ information and then providing them with some
benefit in return.

But research from Aimia’s Global Loyalty Lens suggests that while
more than a quarter of Canadian consumers (26%) are open to giving up personal
information in exchange for better services and benefits, only 8% feel the
latter has been fulfilled. And globally, only 23% of consumers consider the
communications they receive from businesses to be highly relevant.

In exchange for personalization, relevance and rewards, Canadian
consumers are typically open to sharing seven to eight of 13 pieces of
information – the top being their name (82%, on par with global stats), email
address (81%, compared to 83% globally), nationality (73%, compared to 82%
globally), as well as their date of birth and hobbies and interests (both
ranking at 68% and below global figures).

And what kind of data are the fewest number of Canadians willing
to share? Web history came
in at 22% (compared to 27% globally), followed by their mobile phone
number (31%) and online purchases (36%). And according to the research,
consumers can’t be incentivized to give up information they’re not interested
in revealing. Moreover, consumers manage the data they reveal, with the
research pointing to how one in five Canadians have closed an account or
subscription due to a concern around their personal data.

While in most cases Canadian figures were lower than global
averages, consumers here are more willing to share their household information
(63% compared to 59% globally) and income level (48% versus 43%).

Globally, 68% of consumers believe their data to be valuable, with
31% calling it highly valuable. Moreover, millennials and Gen Z consumers are the
most likely cohorts to offer up their mobile phone numbers.